I was wondering what the deal was with the vortec heads, can you bolt a stock tpi setup to them? If not what base plate do you need? I was planing on going with some vortecs, slp runners,ported plenum, a cam that u guys would recomend on my l98 that has headers and cat back. I am planning on getting a prom burnt also. Right now my current almost stock setup runs a 13.6@99 i want to get into low 13 or even high 12s with this setup if possible. what do you think any info would be apreciated.

 

they will bolt on but the stock TPI will not work. you will need to get scoggin diggy's base plate.

 

I'm currently building a vortec TPI 353 that has the SDPC vortec TPI base. Its a nice base but there are alot of things you have to do/ avoid on it. I have been posting my progress here--> https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=201825 Check it out! here are some of the problems I have run into while doin this swap...

Problem #1 Durin the test fitment of the SDPC intake the oil pressure unit on the back of the block hit the intake. Solution: Just ground away some material to make it fit.

Problem #2 Theres a coulpe of coolant holes that for some reason are drilled and tapped into the intake. Solution: grabbed a couple plugs and stuffed them in there. One hole is located right up front where the 2 coolant sensors are located right by the fuel rail hold down mount. Then the other was back by the distributer. Easy fix just put plugs in and away I went.

Problem #3 When installin the runners, the drivers side runners got caught up by the fuel rail, and the intake bolts holdin the intake to the heads. Solution: Losen up the fuel rail bolts and slip the runners in.

Problem #4 EGR stuff. I blocked off my EGR with TPiS block off plates (which are VERY nice billet peices for $12 each) but the block off plate for the valve didnt fit very well. Solution: Gorund away a little bit of material to let the plate fit in just right. The plate fit but it didnt allow the bolt holes to line up very well. Nothin a lil grindin cant take car of. I think if u got the EGR kit from SDPC you would be ok.

Problem #5 More EGR stuff. On this intake they include the EGR feed for the corvettes. So u have to buy the block off plate for that as well. Solution: $12 from TPiS for the block off plate. But like said earlier SDPC sells the EGR kit so u'll be ok.

other than those problems this intake is slick and eveything is perfectly drilled and tapped to O.E.M. specs.

If you are even considering doing this project, just do it! There is so much to gain with this swap! Although u have to buy a spendy intake it will deffinatly be worth it.

 

Hey thanks alot for all that great info. can you use any other aftermarket manifolds? also were is the best place to buy this stuff from?

 

Other aftermarket manifolds include GMPP Ramjet which is similar to the mini-ram. there kit includes everything needed to install EFI on ur motor (harness, ECU, fuel rails, TB, etc.) the complete kit costs around $1200-1400 directly from GM.

Also there is a TBI unit that I think accel makes that will bolt up to vortec heads.

TPiS will make their mini-ram work on vortec heads, which involves alot of machining. Tapping new intake to head holes, adding material to the intake side to acomidate the larger port design. This is not a very good route to go. If u want a mini-ram dont mate it to vortec heads until they come out with one specific to Vortec heads.

Really the only way to go to keep the LTR design is to go with SDPC. Its a great manifold but unfortantly it works for both corvette and camaros/ firebirds. corvette has some different EGR designs. you can check out the intake at www.SDPC2000.com $400 is alot of money but it will deffinatly be worth it. Actually the cheapest TPI manifold around for vortec heads!

Jason

 

I also have bought the vortec heads and base and am going that route, but I bought my vortec heads from paceperfromance, then take out the pressed in studs and also pace sells the vortec manifold. So if your near ohio id give them a call and get it from them. i didn't know they sold it untill I took a drive up there to get my heads. Im not sure what cam in gonig to run though i been looking at the LT4 hotcam.

 

can you use the sdpc intake on any other heads? also i think i am going to be purchasing sdpc intake, slp runners, #24 injectors, 52mm throttle body, and ported plenum soon. What cam should i use with this setup.

 

TPIS makes a MR for the vortec head design, its called the MRIII. It lined up very nicely to my fastburns. Try a search for this stuff. You will find a member by the name of 1Bad91Z i think it is. He is running what i believe to be a 355 vortec tpi setup with "stage 3" vortec heads, whatever that means, and claims to beat some pretty quick cars on the street. He is running a comp cam. A good idea would be to give Comp Cams a call and see what they recommend for you. Depending on where you want your power band to be will determine the intake you choose as well as the cam, more importantly. good luck

 

U cannot use the SDPC intake w/ other heads except I think fast burns have the same vortec bolt pattern. If u wanna go w/ say stock L98 heads then I would go to TPiS and buy their Large Mouth intake and large mouth runners. It'll be like $800 for the both of them. their web site is www.tpis.com and although they are expensive their products are top notch and do not require any more modifications. Plus their knowledge, and service is also a class act. Accel, edelbrock and many others all make TPI intakes though so thats not a problem. The problem is finding other Vortec intakes! Also it sound like you are on the right track for parts though.

JAson

 

how much power do you think this setup should make?

 

http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...=1577&pid=9009 Well, that is what they got! Look at the fine print to see what they used to get that claim. I would imagine #s similar. edit: that cam they use is the hot cam.

 

bad91z'a vortecs are very heavy ported. the Lt4 hot cam should net around 350hp w/ vortec heads and proper tuning. SDPC has a crate motor w/ vortec heads and LT4 hot cam. it makes 357hp, thats with edelbrock runners, 52mm tb, and 1-7/8" headers (yeah 1-7/8" headers)

 

My "stage III vortec heads" came from a circle track motor.

I've explained in many other posts EXACTLY what's been done to them (which is pretty much everything you can do to race prep a head), so I'm not gonna explain all that again. Use search button.

I would not go with anything bigger than the cam I'm running with any vortec LTR TPI setup. Since my heads flow very well and I've ported my whole intake from plenum to base, the cam I'm running matches pretty nicely. If you aren't going to do all the porting to the intake and heads, I would go with something a little smaller (like the XR264HR-12 or XR269HR-12). Keep in mind that you will need ALOT of PROM tuning if you run my cam or even the next size smaller.

And yes, I've raced and beat some pretty quick cars with my current combo, it's a pretty healthy small block! I will probably finally chassis dyno the car in January, so keep an eye out for the thread if you're interested in my setup.

Good luck and if you need some advice or if you get stuck on something, let me know.

Mike (1bad91Z)

 

what cam would you suggest with the vortec setup the Lt4 hotcam or the LPE 211? What would you think be better overall?

 

Neither !!

I would go with the Comp Cam XR269HR-12 like I said earlier.

Now if you plan on a different intake, like the Super-ram, then I would consider something like the LPE 219 cam.

 

hey 1bad91z thanks alot for all the info. I like your setup alot, I think im going with the same cam as you , it looks like it will work well with my setup also. I am only 18 years old and work realy hard for my money so I want to do this right the first time. Thank you everyone for all your help so far.

 

Well, what exact setup did you decide on?

Are you staying LTR TPI or are you going super-ram, HSR, or mini-ram?

Are you having the heads and intake ported? If not, I wouldn't pick my cam, I would go the next size smaller which is the XR269HR-12 cam. Just remember, the bigger cam (the one I run "XR276HR-12") will require even more PROM tuning the XR269 cam.

Anywho, good luck on whatever you decide to build!


Mike (1bad91Z)

 

I recently bought a fully ported plenum, slp runners, base plate, 52mm throttle body, #24 injectors, and an afrp. Heads and cam are next.

 

Did you buy a vortec intake (base plate) ??

If you did, and you have the extra money, I would buy fast-burn heads instead of the iron vortec's.

 

I bought the sbdc plate. How much are the fast burns? Money is a little tight due to the fact that i just blew up my tranny and it is now time for a six speed.

 

Fast-burns are usually arround $1,100 .

But they are better than vortec's.

 

Holley makes a vortec MPFI single plane intake which is complete with fuel rail for $400. Thing is I have never seen any dyno's or info from someone using it. Don't know if being single plane makes it idle rough and have low torque. Informatin on it is scarce, but looks like the best value out there

 

i think i am going to have to go with the vortecs for now this is starting to get expensive. Does anybody have any idea what my car should run in th 1/4 with this setup?

 

mid to low 13's

 

Only mid to low 13s, I already run a 13.6 stock so all this money only helps a little. I was thinking high 12s i am planning on 3.73 with the new six speed, and some traction stuff.

 

I think u will see low 13's w/o traction and prolly break 12's with good traction...Although the cam u chose will determine how far into the 12's u go.

1Badz--- I tried searchin u cam specs and cannot find any info on ur cams that u listed...u wanna shoot me in the right direction or list the specs of each cam?

Jason

 

Ya I think I am going to buy the comp cams XR264 cam. I have not purchased the heads yet but i was looking into a set of LTI heads my budy has that are modified to use the vortec intake wich I already have. But I was wondering If this would be a bad Idea because TPI is made for low end and the LTI heads are not. I am going to wait untill the spring to due the heads and cam because I want to see how the car does at the track with the 6spd.

 

Do yourself a favor and at LEAST get the XR269HR-12 cam. The XR264HR-12 is too small for what you are doing.

The 264 cam is better for a stock heads TPI 350 with minor bolt-ons.

You wont be disappointed with the XR269HR-12 Comp Cam.


All cam specs of the above 3 cams are on Compcams.com online catalog.

 

Thats where I went...and they told me they were not vaild part numbers...what are the specs?

Jason

 

OK i will get the XR269 cam. Is that the bigest came I can run with stock vortecs? Also I would need some prom tuning with that cam do you guys know any one who could do that for me? Where is the best place to buy vortec heads?

 

I just looked on the compcams web site and was blown away by the price the cam is like $345 wich I could live with but to get the cam kit with lifters is like $500 something dollars. I would need the cam kit right? My motor isn't a roller motor right stock 89 L98? Also if I decide this cam isn't in my budget what are my options for a cheeper cam like non roller.

 

sillyIROC - I PM'd you.

 

Here are the XR cam specs:

 

If it helps any..

I have:

SDPC intake base
zz-4 cam
vortec heads
slp 1 3/4th headers
DON"T need the egr kit, just the blockoff plate.
relocated coil to firewall
so far 283rwhp and 396.5rwtq.. times to come
stock runners and plenum

 

Hey that looks good let me know what your times are when you get some.

Also do I have a roller motor? If so then I dont need to buy the cam and lifter set right?

 

Thanks 1badz....looks like thats just about the ball park that Im in for my cam that I bought from TPiS. .495 I/E I love the cam.

Silly---You DO have a roller motor so u HAVE to buy a cam to work with a roller motor which the x-treme energy cams are. Always buy new lifters and springs when installina new cam. Very good insurance down the road. Others will chime in and say that it isnt necessary to buy lifters with a new cam. Well it actually is because the old lifters worn with the old cam and by throwing a new cam in with old lifters theres a possiblity that the cam will have a short life because of the worn lifters. These cam specs dont look that bad and TPiS has cams that are prolly better than comp cams. They dont offer lifter kits but they're not that expensive to begin with. TPiS is deffinatly worthly of takin a good look at for cam choice. I love mine and my whole kit cost me $400 w/ cam/lifters/springs/valve seals. Now that was for a hydrlic flat tappet cam so urs is goin to be more spendy but always worth it

Jason

 

Not true for roller cams. Non roller, the lifters mate to the cam and you should always install new lifters with a new cam.

The beauty of rollers is that there is no mating process, therefore you can swap out cams without changing lifters.

FYI

 

ok good point but wouldnt u just wanna replace them anyway cause they're so old. I would just because of their age. How do rollers wear out...I know they gotta go bad sometime.

 

To me.. its still just good insurance.. a couple hundred more could save lots in the long run.

 

Exactly:werd:

 

Ya I see what your saying I will replace them when it comes time to put in the new cam.$$$$$$$

 

i posted this in another thread but i am currently running a camshaft made for me patterned after the zz-9 cam.....this cam pulls very strong and has a smooth lopey idle, i wasnt going to pay the $375.00 for the tpis cam so i had bullet cams make an exact replica for $275.00. if your interested its www.bulletcams.com

 

Stuart you ever run your car? Or got Dyno numbers? I ask simply to see the difference the cam and runners make versus my setup.

 

I will look into bullit cams.

 

go check out 3.8transam on the NW indiana boards his formula is a 350 vortec motor and his car will lite the tires up at sixty....and i've seen him take out many an LS1 from a roll even if they get a jump on him